Fashions – 1844

Mid-19th Century French Costume Plates and Diverse Bourgeois Day Dresses

This authentic hand-colored steel engraving from the 1840s serves as a comprehensive fashion directory, compiling five distinct high-society female portraits onto a single archival sheet. The illustration highlights the versatile textile trends of the early Victorian era, ranging from casual home wear to structured outdoor attire. The central upper figure models a scholarly or artistic indoor ensemble, featuring a tailored cerulean blue jacket with contrasting ochre yellow lapels, a crisp white chemisette collar, and a neat black ribbon tie, providing a rare glimpse into the practical yet refined wardrobes of mid-nineteenth-century European women.

Early Victorian Crinoline Silhouettes and Intricate Lace Pelerines

The lower arrangements in this antique costume plate detail full-length silhouettes that define the transitioning dome-shaped crinoline skirts of the decade. The figure on the left is viewed from behind to emphasize a luxurious black lace shawl or mantelet draped over an embossed green damask silk skirt, while her companion on the right showcases a slate-grey day dress heavily adorned with a vertical column of structured fabric rosettes and matching sleeve bands. Accessorized with intricate white lace Bertha collars, yellow kid leather gloves, and traditional ruffled indoor caps tied with satin ribbons, this rare print is highly prized by historic textile curators and vintage graphic art dealers.